Question

youre showing real detective instincts! the flatworms indeed have no body cavity between their gut and body wall.
clue #5: the research students quiz
a graduate student left behind a quiz question on the whiteboard:
i was studying feeding methods when the specimens disappeared! one group has some members that are
parasitic - they live inside hosts and absorb nutrients directly through their body surface. others in this same group
are free - living predators that hunt tiny prey in freshwater.
detective challenge: which phylum is being described here - one that includes both parasitic forms (like
tapeworms) and free - living predators (like planarians)?
hint: think about which group includes both the unwelcome guests that live inside other animals and the free - swimming hunters in ponds!
whats your answer, detective?

Explanation:

Flatworms belong to the phylum Platyhelminthes. This phylum includes both parasitic forms (such as tapeworms) that live inside hosts and absorb nutrients through their body surface, and free - living predators (such as planarians) that hunt in freshwater. The description in the problem matches the characteristics of the phylum Platyhelminthes.

Answer:

Platyhelminthes